We open our Kiezsalon season for the first time in Neukölln at Schloss Britz—an 18th-century neoclassical manor house. On Saturday 31 May, in the castle’s farmyard we present Lithuanian folk duo Merope with renowned multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, Portland-based ambient producer Ann Annie and Belgian composer Alice Hebborn. This follows on from Friday’s program featuring Brìghde Chaimbeul, Cassie Kinoshi and Dana Schechter & Paul Wallfisch.
Ann Annie is the name under which Portland-based composer Eli Goldberg crafts soft ambient soundscapes that blend cinematic textures with folk and country elements. Previously working with synthesizers and tape manipulation, his 2024 album The Wind expanded his palette to acoustic instruments including trumpet, clarinet and pedal steel. KLOF Magazine described it as “creating wafts of colour that tug and occasionally tear at the fabric of life, even as they sweeten and stretch the world.”
Born in Brussels, composer Alice Hebborn has a track record of writing for theatre and ensembles including LAPS Ensemble, Musiques Nouvelles and Ensemble Fractales. In late 2024 she released her debut record Saisons—a contemplative journey through sound and nature. The Quietus praised it as “an accomplished and sophisticated work, which gives up more on every listen.” Joined by pianist and longtime collaborator Nao Momitani, Hebborn presents Saisons in Berlin for this first time at Kiezsalon.
Merope, the duo of Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and guitarist-producer Bert Cools, reach deep into the roots of Lithuania’s folk song, reinterpreting its traditions through a celestial lens of ambient electronics and kosmische, jazz and minimalism. In 2024 they released their fifth album Vėjula, which featured collaborations with Shahzad Ismaily, Laraaji and Bill Frisell. The Guardian wrote: “Spiralling out from a palette of Lithuanian folk forms, this album feels like a sharp, cold and bright autumn morning, bracingly new.”
Joining Merope on stage is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, producer and composer of Pakistani descent Shahzad Ismaily. A longtime member of Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, he has performed with countless other artists including John Zorn, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson and Colin Stetson. He recorded the 2023 album Love In Exile with Arooj Aftab and Vijay Iyer, and recently joined Zoh Amba, Steve Gunn and Jim White in Beings. Reviewing last year’s Beings album There Is A Garden, The Wire noted that “the quartet’s stylistic mix-ups are consistently engaging”. He also composes for theatre, films and musicals, and runs the label Figureight Records.
During the Kiezsalon, the current exhibition at Schloss Britz, Die ganze Zeit, will be on display and accessible for our guests. The show brings together ten contemporary artists—including Carsten Nicolai, Ahmed Ramadan and Anna Borgman, amoung others—to explore how time has shaped society, from the industrial age to today. Their works examine time as a tool of power, control and change, while also imagining possible alternatives.
Schloss Britz, a historic estate dating back to 1375, is a charming retreat in Berlin’s Neukölln district, where a beautifully restored manor house sits amidst open green spaces. With its blend of history, nature and culture, it’s an ideal setting to open our Kiezsalon season under the warm spring sun.
